Dear Pen Pal,
by Ripplecloud
Summary: Uprooted again, I'm off to Japan with my dad. However, Mr. Ishikawa, Dad's employer, has offered me a very unique experience. I will take his daughter's place in Ouran Academy, pretending to be her. There's just one problem...  I'm a guy.
1. Getting the News

**A/N LISTEN UP**

**You need to read this or you will have no idea what is going on.**

**-clears throat- The main character, Mr. Ashton, is writing letters to his pen pal. In other words, you. He can't exactly write you letter after letter without getting any response, can he?**

**No. Which is why you MUST review for his story to go on. **

**And this is not going to be yaoi. I'm not much of a yaoi fan.**

**This is Ripple writing you a author's note, for the first and (hopefully) last time. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters you recognize. All the rest? ALL MINE! -evil laugh-**

* * *

Life is a pain. No matter how hard you work to force it _your_ way, it slips out of your boundaries and whips back to smack you in the face. With a fish.

Sorry. I really should introduce myself before I get too far ahead. Especially since you are my new pen pal. Feel free to ask me questions, or tell me your story. I'm interested in hearing what you have to say about the mess that is my life. Anyways, my birth name is Raiden Sereno Ashton. I know, terrible name for a kid. Raiden is the name for the Japanese god of thunder. Consequently, my nickname, Rai, means 'thunder'. I am fifteen years of age, young for a sophomore in American High School.

I tried to be normal, I really did. But somehow…my overall self discouraged people from becoming friends with me. Actually, they refused to be within an arm's length. But maybe that's because I've never completely shaken off the title 'New Kid'. I might as well get it tattooed on my forehead.

Dad'n'I move around a lot, because he's one of the best tutors in the world. New jobs are always popping up. Dad wants to save money for college, so I always go to public school. The kids there don't even know who Dad is. All the better, I don't want to be seen as a nerd as well as a freak.

You're probably wondering what happened to Mom. Well, two years back, she got fed up with all the moving. They worked out that Dad would have custody over me, and Mom would have custody of Reizo, my identical twin. See what I mean about my parents being terrible namers? We live in AMERICA. Not JAPAN. Also, Reizo and Raiden. NOT good choices for identical twins. We have the same nickname, just spelled different ways.

Off track again. Sorry. Every time I do that, feel free to smack me. So back to my first comment. Life hates me. Well, it seems like that. 'Life is nothing without friendship' says Marcus Cicero. I guess mine is nothing then.

At least, that's the way I was feeling at the present time. My dad had just pulled me out of the first school I was actually starting to settle down in so he could go to a new, better-paying job. Normally, I'd be fine with that. But I had one problem with this arrangement. The location.

We were moving to Japan.

Hoping to find you well,

Rai Ashton

P.S. Write back soon!


	2. You Want Me to do What?

Hey. It's me again.

As a matter of fact, it does suck not to make a lot of friends. There is a good side to it though. It means I have no one to be sad when I have to go…

Japan? There's nothing that wrong with it…it's just it's completely different from anything else I'm used to. But you're right. My name won't stick out, since it is Japanese. That's probably why it isn't heard very often back home. I don't like it very much though…

If I make friends, won't I just have to leave them when Dad is done teaching? That doesn't sound like a good thing to me…Eh, I guess I won't have to worry about losing you. No matter where I move, I can always write to you. And Mommi can sympathize.

And yeah, luckily I know a bit of Japanese. Well…maybe a bit more than a bit…but you catch my drift. Rei and I actually kinda like anime and manga, so that's what drove us to start learning it. Not to mention Dad is fluent in four or five languages, Japanese included.

I sure hope they are friendly…

Anyways, the strangest thing just happened to me. Sit back and relax, 'cause this might take a while to tell. Here it goes~

We landed all right, no delays or problems. We actually arrived in Japan early, if you can imagine that. But maybe that's because we were in Dad's employer's private jet. I stepped off the aerial vehicle, blinking hard. Why was it so light out? Right, time zones. Back home in Cali it was 11 pm, making it… 3 pm here? They are 16 hours ahead, I think. Which really does a number on my ment-

Ow. You're right. I did deserve that.

BACK to the story.

We were picked up by a limo and driven to the secondary estate. If that huge building was the secondary estate, I don't want to see the size of the main house. This was a monstrosity! A very elegant monstrosity, mind you. I couldn't wait to explore the grounds with Aaron.

Oh, did I forget to mention Aaron? He's my 7-foot long boa constrictor. I named him that because that's what I would want my name to be.

Where was I? Oh right, arrival.

We were immediately led to the main parlor. Dad and I sat down. We didn't have to wait long, for soon an Asian man, probably the employer, walked in. He was followed by a brown-haired, blue-eyed girl about an inch shorter than me. We both stood up.

The two adults shook hands. The girl took one look at me and ran out of the room. The stranger, presumably her guardian, watched her go.

"You are Professor Ashton, I presume?" he asked, in English.

Dad nodded. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ishikawa. May I introduce my son, Raiden."

I bowed. "Nice to meet you," I replied.

"The pleasure is all mine," Mr. Ishikawa said, taking a seat. We followed suit.

"You see, Professor, my daughter Reiko was planning on attending Ouran Academy this term, the most elite school in Japan. However, she has recently developed an interesting case of anxiety issues. We can't even get her to leave the house any more. So I have hired you to be her tutor. I am entirely entrusting her education to you.

"But there is one problem I have not discussed. The Academy does not allow me to get my money back for this year's tuition. Seeing as your son and my Reiko are both to be first years, I was wondering if Raiden would like to take her place."

He looked at me expectantly. A chance to go to the top school in Japan? Count me in!

"Before you say anything, I must tell you one thing…You would go as Reiko. The school does not allow for transfer either, so you would have to pretend to be her." He looked at me worriedly, thinking I would refuse outright.

Really? Go to school as a girl? Well, knowing my dad, he wasn't going to be here long. Besides, Reiko was bound to get over her shyness some time, and then we could switch back. No problem.

I think I surprised them both with my answer.

You should have seen my dad's face. It was hilarious!

Anyway, I had better head off to bed now. My room is HUGE! I have loads of extra space for clothes, and for some reason Mr. Ishikawa has decided to pay me allowance. I don't think that space will stay clear for long, since I'm going to need a whole new wardrobe. The school's uniform isn't as bad as I thought it would be. Moving on…my bed is feather-top, and softer than anything else I had ever touched.

A few hours after we arrived, Mr. Ishikawa had gotten some servants to set up a large, heated glass habitat for my scaly pet.

Aaron's looking pretty happy. I fed him three mice today, and when I turned around Reiko was standing at the door, watching. I studied her, thinking she did look slightly like me. I might be able to pull this off. Once she saw me, she disappeared. She seemed more afraid of me than of my giant reptilian friend.

Good night, Pen Pal!

Rai


	3. Mission Objective: Giggle

Hey Pal. How was your day?

Mine was pretty good.

I was brought breakfast, some kind of pastry I had never even heard of. It was good. I washed it down with a glass of water. All morning, I was permitted to wander the grounds.

After getting myself lost for about the hundredth time, I finally stopped walking.

"Do you have a map of this house?" I asked in Japanese. I had taken it all throughout middle school and my first year of high school, studying the language over the summer as well. I had planned on visiting Japan some time in my future. I just wasn't expecting it to be so soon.

She looked at me, laughing. "Here," she said, pulling a folded piece of paper from her pocket. "I always keep one on hand."

I was happily surprised. Who knew she'd actually have one? I unfolded it to see a rough sketch of the ground floor, including the grounds. On the other side, it depicted the second and third floors.

She flipped the paper back to the first floor. She pointed to a hallway outside the kitchen. "You are here," she said, before continuing on her way.

"Thanks!" I called after her, and she waved her hand in acknowledgement.

I spent most of the time out in the garden, after I had picked up my guitar. I loved playing that thing. I have always loved it, ever since I picked one up when I was seven.

No, I don't play rock music, and it's not an electric guitar. I tend to lean towards the soft, slow songs on my acoustic. But I didn't sing today. I just sat, cross-legged on the ground in the heart of the rose garden, playing my guitar quietly and humming to myself.

Around noon, I was starting to get hungry. I headed in, guitar hung on my back. Using the map to guide me, I made my way to the kitchen. The chefs there were really nice, and they gave me yakitori, which is what seems to be chicken on a stick, though I get the feeling they felt a bit insulted at being asked to prepare something so simple. Or maybe they were relieved. I am not that good at reading people.

After lunch, I had my first meeting with my etiquette teacher. She knew about my situation, and tried her hardest to teach me to be a girl.

I failed miserably.

I had a hard time remembering to maintain my posture, I couldn't balance anything on my head for more than a minute, and I couldn't giggle. My voice could pass as a girl's, luckily. However, I did do some things right. I could force myself to blush, I could bat my eyelashes, and I wasn't annoyed at having my hair down. Though I normally put it up, it falls just past my shoulders when it's down. What can I say, I like long hair!

Another plus is I have yet to start growing facial hair. I could walk like a girl, if I focused.

After etiquette, I was educated on the latest fashions, from manga (which I already knew), to clothes, to tea cups.

Then I was hurtled into the Ishikawa family's tailor's room, speedily fitted for my uniform. He also promised to have a comfortable bodice made for me by tomorrow.

In other words, I get to wear removable boobs. Fun.

Dinner was a family thing, and Dad and I were invited. We sat around a table with Mr. and Mrs. Ishikawa and Reiko. She looked up at me a few times during the meal, but they were only fleeting glances.

I must admit, Japanese cuisine is way different. I like it though.

After dinner, I went up to my room to do homework. In other words, practice my giggling.

An hour-and-a-half into it, Aaron lifted up his head from my lap and looked at me.

"Yeah, I know I sound like an idiot. Get used to it," I told him.

A real giggle from the doorway alerted me to Reiko's presence. I turned, and she hid behind the doorframe.

My guess is that she was interested in Aaron. Snakes are pretty cute, Though Aaron is quite a bit bigger than green snakes. "You can come in and pet him if you want," I told her. "We don't bite."

Slowly, she reappeared. She walked into my room, seating herself a safe distance away from me and Aaron. My scaly friend took an interest in her, and started to unwrap himself from my body. He slithered over to her, looking up. His tongue flicked in and out of his mouth quizzically as he scented this new person.

She giggled again, and I mentally saved that noise and filed it away for later use. Gently, she stroked his head. He rested it in her lap, tongue still tasting the air.

A little while later, she got up and left, giving me a small wave goodbye. I hadn't heard a single word from her.

I tried one more time to giggle.

I got it.

Mission accomplished, I should probably get some sleep.

Good night, Pal!

Rai

P.S. You'd have to have an anaconda or something if it would eat a cat. Even boas prefer smaller things like rodents. XP


	4. Day One

Sorry I haven't written in forever.

Etiquette lessons and such have kept me away from my laptop. I also had to learn some more Japanese. My sensei is now satisfied with me. Hooray! I really buckled down after she threatened me with surgery…

I'm an officially certified girl! No way could I pass the physical though.

Man, they make it look so easy…It's crazy.

Well, I had Reiko to help me out. She's finally warmed up to me. She loves Aaron more though.

Ahem. Well, today was my first day of school. It's kind of hard, starting school in the beginning of the second term. At home, we'd be about a month into our first semester. Here, I was starting first day one third of the way through the year.

Ugh.

I will recount my day as well as I can remember.

I woke up, taking fifteen steps north-northeast to my closet. I spent fifteen seconds pulling my dress off its hanger…

Just kidding. XD

I got ready for school, putting on the fake boo- I mean, the brazier with the help of a maid. I couldn't ever tie the back. After I dismissed the girl, I got dressed in the uniform, munching on a piece of toast. I had arranged with the cooks to at least have American breakfast foods.

I brushed the crumbs off the skirt of my dress, brushing my straight brown hair until it was feather-soft. I had decided to leave most of down today. The bangs were braided away from my face and tied at the back of my head with a yellow bow.

Stepping into my bathroom, I applied a little mascara and a bit of eyeliner. Yes, I even learned how to apply make-up without poking my eye out. After that, I gently placed my blue contact in my left eye, leaving the second one there.

Crap. I forget to tell you so many things. I have heterochromia, meaning my left eye is brown, and my right one is blue. Since Reiko has blue eyes, I needed to get a blue contact. Normally, I just wear a brown one.

Okay, enough diversion. I snatched an apple so I could eat it on the way. Mr. Ishikawa had offered me his limo to ride, but I wanted to walk. My books weren't heavy, and it wasn't too far to school.

But that meant I had to leave early. Eh, waking up at 5:30 isn't that bad…

I was about three quarters of the way to school when I heard someone yelling.

"Wait!"

I turned, curious as to whom it was. A boy, dressed in the Ouran uniform, ran up to me. He smiled. "Walking to school too?"

I nodded, not wanting to speak a lot. I still had a slight accent when I talked in Japanese.

"Mind if I walk with you?" the boy asked, looking at me with big brown eyes.

I shook my head, shifting my satchel on my shoulder.

He didn't speak again, but I got the sense he was glad to have some company.

When we got to the front gate, he turned to me. "My name's Haruhi Fujioka. What's yours?"

"Reiko Ishikawa," I told him in a quiet voice.

He smiled. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Reiko-san."

"Thank you for walking with me, Haruhi-san," I replied softly. I found if I spoke quietly, my accent was virtually undetectable.

I turned to go, but Haruhi stopped me. "Reiko-san, what class are you in? I haven't seen you before."

"It's my first day. I'm in class 1-A," I said.

Haruhi smiled again. "That's my class! Please allow me to escort you there."

I hesitated before nodding. Without this boy's help, I was sure to get lost. (Me = directionally challenged. Guys don't ask for directions, remember?))

He led me through the huge building, finally entering a classroom. I followed, walking up to the teacher's desk.

"Good morning Mizuru-sensei," I said, smiling slightly.

She looked up at me from her seat. "You must be Reiko Ishikawa. Your seat is over there behind Kaoru Hitachiin. Hitachiin-kun, could you raise your hand?"

Two hands shot into the air. I looked to find…identical twins? What a coincidence. I was laughing on the inside. That looks exactly like what my brother and I would do.

Sensei had obviously had this problem. "Just _Kaoru_ please…" she ordered, rubbing her head.

The hand on the left sank.

I walked over to the desk behind the one hand up, placing my satchel on the ground below my desk. I was diagonally behind Haruhi. At least I was somewhere near him.

Class was average. Math, language arts, and art class were before lunch.

I hate art class.

Not only do I have no artistic ability, but I always seem to humiliate myself somehow. I don't feel like recounting my experience right now, but let's just say I met Kaoru. About two inches away from my face. And he was _touching_ my face.

Yeah…don't want to relive that right now.

I, not wanting to go to the lunch room, had packed my lunch. As it turns out, Haruhi and I were the only ones eating in the classroom.

I grabbed my lunch, moving to sit at the desk in front of Haruhi's. I turned the chair around. "Do you mind if I sit here, Haruhi-kun?"

He shook his head, gesturing for me to have a seat. I unwrapped my food, happy to find salmon onigiri. I had taken a liking to the common snack since I came here.

Haruhi seemed surprised. "Rice balls? You could have _anything_ and you have rice balls?"

I looked down at my lap. "I…I like them…" I defended half-heartedly.

Haruhi blushed slightly, looking down at his lap. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

I smiled. "You didn't."

He smiled back.

We chatted a bit, but not much. Haruhi wasn't much of a talker either. In fact, I got the feeling he was a bit shy.

I was back in my seat by the time the rest of the class arrived back.

The next class was history, so I began to nod off near the end. Apparently I dozed right into the beginning of English class. Sensei had slammed a book shut, and was looking at me sternly.

"Since Ishikawa-san seems to think she can afford to sleep in English class, I'm sure she can provide us with the definition of foreshadowing? In English, please."

My mind immediately went to when I saw A Very Potter Musical. I thought for a minute, formulating Hermione's reply. "Foreshadowing is a dramatic device in which an important plot point is mentioned early in the story to return later in a more significant way."

I was impressed with myself. I managed to say it perfectly, at the exact speed Hermione did. Apparently, everyone else wasn't expecting that. Neither was Sensei. I dropped my gaze, flushing slightly.

Best. English. Class. EVER.

After that, school was let out, and we were free to either go home or go to any clubs. It seemed a majority of girls was headed for something called a Host Club. I think Haruhi mentioned he was in it during lunch. Sounded…interesting. I was walking home anyways, so I might as well check it out.

Biggest mistake ever.

Well…not really. My biggest mistake ever was trying to pick Aaron up before feeding him. I have the scars to prove it. Boa bites hurt!

So it was the second biggest mistake.

It took me FOREVER to find the Third Music Room. I'm directionally challenged, remember? I peered around the door, looking for…I don't know what.

Then he was there. My view went from the entire room to two bright blue eyes. I fought the urge to jerk my head back. This was the weirdest thing that had ever happened to me.

"Hello, my princess," the boy said, taking my hand in his.

As I had been trained, I blushed, averting my gaze. Anything to keep him from staring at me like that. I wonder what he would do if he knew I was a guy?

"Don't be shy. Please, come in. But I must ask you, what is your type?" he asked, tilting my chin up so I couldn't look away.

"My…type?" I asked quietly, trying to comprehend what he was saying. My mind was a jumbled mess. Half of me wanted to punch this guy in the face, and the other half wanted to burst out laughing.

"Which boy do you prefer? The cool type? The mischievous sort? The natural? The strong, silent kind? Or the Boy-Lolita?" He brought his head even closer to mine. "Or maybe…you are attracted to the princely type, such as myself?"

He struck a pose, no doubt trying to impress me.

If I was a girl in America, he'd have been slapped already.

"Senpai, I invited her to come. Besides, don't you have customers to get back to?"

I sighed inwardly. Saved by Haruhi!

In a flash, the blue-eyed boy was gone. I blinked. How could someone move that fast? I gave a faint smile to Haruhi, who returned it wholeheartedly. He offered me his arm.

"Senpai means well, I promise," Haruhi said, laughing gently.

What a beautiful laugh…Woah, snap out of it, Rai. You are a BOY. Cool it.

I sighed, taking Haruhi's arm as he led me over to a table. I seemed to be the only one sitting with him at the current time.

"So…who exactly are the Hosts?" I asked, looking around.

"Tamaki Suoh, you just met him, is the prince type. Kyoya Ootori, the one with glasses over there, is the cool type. Mitsukuni Haninozuka, we call him Hunny, is there, stuffing his face with cake. He's the Boy-Lolita. The tall one next to him is Takashi Morinozuka. Everyone calls him Mori, and he's the stoic character. Hikaru and Kaoru, the twins from our class, are the little devil types," he explained, gesturing to each of them in turn.

I looked over at Haruhi. "I don't think I'll remember all that," I giggled. (THANK YOU Reiko. I couldn't have done it without you.)

Haruhi smiled. "That's fine. It took me a while to memorize it too."

We sat there awkwardly for a minute. "So how long have you been in the Host Club?" I inquired, hoping to start a conversation.

"I've been hosting since a little after the start of the first term," he replied.

"What made you join?" I wasn't just going to let the conversation die there.

Thus started the story involving a scholarship, an expensive vase, and a bad reaction to meeting Tamaki.

If only I could have told him MY story.

So yea…life here at Ouran seems to be pretty exciting so far.

Ciao!

Rai

P.S. How can singing be embarrassing? I bet you are really good at it. I write my own songs too sometimes, but I tend to sing songs written by someone else.

P.P.S. I almost failed etiquette lessons. XD What would I have done then?


	5. Oops My bad

Hello again!

The host club has been pretty good…if you don't count my last two visits. And Haruhi hiding something? He is the most honest person I know!

As for friends, I only keep in contact with one. Her name is Sarah Moretz.

Last I heard, she was doing well in North Dakota.

I wish that I could say the same.

Let me recount my last two visits to Ouran's infamous Host Club.

Account number 1:

At Haruhi's recommendation, I subsequently requested 'Mori' and 'Hunny' after about a week of requesting him. Hunny, while I admit he was cute, was WAY too little-kid-ish for me. When I arrived at the 'station', I found him eating cake.

Boatloads of it. It was all the kid could talk about! Well, that and his bunny Usa-chan. Apparently he's a third-year. Sheesh! Talk about not acting your age! But I copied the girls around me, fawning over him like he's the cutest thing ever. Soon I was bored of it, and I turned to look at Mori, sitting next to me. He hadn't said a whole word this whole time.

"…Mori-sama?" I murmured quietly, looking up at him.

"…" he made no reply, but looked back down at me.

"Why are you so quiet?" I inquired, intrigued by the solemn, silent character.

"…" he shrugged, face a mask.

I hurriedly looked at the ground, forcing a light blush. From my observation, girls tended to blush for no reason in particular. I was getting kind of good at this whole charade…

Suddenly, Hunny was in my lap. I swear he had been on the other couch a moment before. "Rei-chan!" he called my name. "Aren't you going to eat any cake?"

I blinked, surprised he had noticed.

I forced a half-smile, shaking my head.

Hunny looked up at me with big brown eyes. "Why not? Don't you like cake?"

"Not particularly," I responded in a hushed voice.

Hunny gasped. "You don't like cake?" he cried, clearly in shock. "Then do you like sweets?"

I shook my head again, offering him an apologetic smile.

"Takashi, Rei-chan doesn't like sweets!" The way he said it made it sound like I was some sort of alien from Mars.

"Mitsukuni, it's her right to decide what she likes," the tall boy reminded his shorter friend.

Hunny returned to his conversation with the other girls, though he still glanced at me occasionally.

I looked at Mori with a thankful grin.

I could have sworn I saw the ghost of a smile upon his lips.

End account number 1.

So yeah…Now I'm an interesting person to Hunny. He tries every instance he can to make me eat sweets. I'd love to…but I get sugar highs really easily, and I didn't want to get one at the Host Club.

Account number 2 in 3… 2… 1… GO!

The next day, under the assurance of Hunny, I was sent to request the twins.

"Let's play the Which One is Hikaru Game!"

The twins, wearing matching outfits and hats, had convinced me and two other girls that we couldn't tell which one was which.

It was stupid, in my opinion. I could tell them apart blindfolded in a windowless room without any light. But that was probably because I myself am an identical twin.

Since we only had one guess collectively, the other two girls decided to work as a team. Unfortunately, I was included in said team.

"I think the one on the right is Hikaru!" exclaimed a third-year.

"No, that's definitely Kaoru," argued the class 2-C student.

"You sure? Kaoru's on the left!" class 3-B insisted.

After a few minutes of their bickering, I sighed, clearing my throat. They acknowledged my presence for the first time. Then, before they could stop me, I guessed.

"The one on the left is Hikaru."

"BEEEP! I'm sorry, you didn't get it right," the twins chorused. They winked, sticking their tongues out.

"No, I did get it right. Stop trying to fool me, Kaoru, I sit behind you every day. I know it's you," I said, speaking to the twin on the right.

"How do you know?" Hikaru asked, teasing. I could tell he was surprised though.

"Because I have a twin myself," I replied. A split-second later, I slapped my hand over my mouth. I had made my first slip-up. "I-I'm sorry, I have to go."

I couldn't have gotten out of that room quick enough.

Second account… terminated.

Yeah… I slipped up. Whoopsie! Oh well, maybe the Twins will think I was making up an excuse. Hopefully they won't try to pursue the matter.

Well…I did what any other sane person in my place would do.

Tomorrow, I'm staying home sick.

Of course, I explained to Mr. Ishikawa what I was doing, and he decided it was the best plan of action as well. I had to tell him, or he might have very well brought in the best doctors in the world.

He's just like that.

I'm off to bed. I think I'm going to go shopping for some guy clothes tomorrow. And I'll need to get some more food for Aaron. I'm running out of frozen rodents.

Write back soon.

Rai


	6. They Showed Up Here

Hey.

Aaron's favorite food? Hmm… well, he seemed to like eating sparrows he caught in my back yard when we were living in Maryland.

And yeah, I do have an identical twin. His name is Reizo, and he looks exactly like me, hairstyle included. He has heterochromia too, so our eyes match as well…for the most part. We are mirror images of each other, meaning his left eye is blue, and his right eye is brown. He's currently living a normal life with Mom back in the States. As for mannerisms…he's much more outspoken than I.

My favorite place? Hmm…I really loved living in Ireland. It was beautiful there…

Right, back to the story.

That staying home sick plan? Didn't quite work out the way I thought it would. Well… I guess I'll start from the very beginning.

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth… Oh, you didn't want me to go back that far? Sorry…

Ahem. So…This morning, I went out with Aaron. He was tired of being stuck inside, so I took him to the local 'commoner' market.

I bought some rice balls for me, and some raw fish for Aaron. I think he liked it. Anyhow, a teenage boy walking through a market with a giant python wrapped around his waist and hanging from his neck raised quite a bit of gossip. I was glad that I could spice up their lives, even if it was just for the day. When I sat down on a bench to munch on my snacks, some small children and their mothers came by. After I assured them Aaron was harmless, they permitted their children to pet him. They even got to feed him some of his fish.

I didn't find any outfits I liked, so I went back to the mansion with a bag full of dead rodents I could shove in the mini-freezer I had in my room. I deposited the food in its proper storage compartment, deciding to wander the grounds again. As I was nearing the front parlor, I heard the doorbell ring. I ignored it, peeking my head into the dining room to see if Reiko was there.

No sign of her…where could she be?

I got my answer as she bolted past me, running down the hallway. Her eyes were wide. Must mean a lot of people she didn't know. And if I knew that face, they must have thought they knew her.

Curiosity won over, and I had to go investigate. I should have remembered that curiosity killed the cat.

And that is the reason I walked into a room full of Hosts, shirtless, and with a seven-foot python wrapped around my torso.

I stared at them.

They stared at me.

I blinked.

Tamaki fainted.

The only thing running through my head was 'Oh crap, I'm dead.'

I raised my hand in greeting. "Hello."

That got the garden of statues moving. In an instant, Hikaru and Kaoru were inspecting me and Aaron up close.

Unfortunately for them, Aaron didn't like people he didn't know to be intruding in his personal space. The giant serpent hissed a warning, but Hikaru didn't get the memo. Kaoru was too busy staring at my face to notice his brother was about to get attacked by a serpentine monster.

I got my hand in the way just before he struck.

"Ow…" I hissed, inhaling quickly as Aaron's thing but incredibly sharp fangs dug into my hand. The instant the python withdrew his head, the twins were a safe distance away.

"You are Reiko's twin!" they announced.

Nice to know they care for their customer's 'brother'.

"You could have just asked," I grumbled, sitting down as I sucked on the identical holes in my hand. They hurt like the dickens. Imagine getting stabbed at two points with thick razor-sharp needles. At least he's not poisonous though.

"Here, let me see that." I looked up to see Haruhi holding out his hand, a look of concern on his face.

After a moment's hesitation, I held out my injured hand. "It's not that bad, Haruhi-kun." I explained. "I've been bitten plenty of times before."

He looked up from my hand, gazing into my eyes. I could tell he was confused. He studied my face, furrowing his brow.

Thank goodness I was wearing my brown contact.

"Reiko's told me a lot about you," I explained hurriedly, blustering. "About the whole Host Club, actually!" I withdrew my hand, pulling a bandage out from my pants pocket and applying it to the bite. I always kept them there… just in case. Aaron hissed at Haruhi. "I've had enough out of you," I whispered fiercely. He stopped hissing immediately, settling down in my lap, oozing discontent. Sometimes I wondered if he could actually understand me.

"Oh really? What else has she told you about us?" Tamaki asked, suddenly in my face. When had he recovered from his faint?

"None of your business, Tamaki-san," I replied coldly. Mentally, I punched the air in triumph. I could finally act unladylike!

"You seem to know our names…" Hikaru started.

"But we don't know yours!" Kaoru ended.

"Raiden."

It slipped out. Dangit, I really have to think before I open my big mouth. Second mess-up! Congratulations, Rai, you've won the Biggest Mouth Award!

"Well, Raiden-kun, why don't you attend Ouran like your twin?" Kyoya asked, pushing his glasses up on his nose so his eyes would be hidden by the glare.

"Yeah, Rai-chan. We could have so much fun! I bet you could even be in the Host Cub!" Hunny exclaimed excitedly.

"I…" desperately, I tried to think of a reason. "I learn better when I am in a one-on-one teaching environment." Crappiest excuse ever.

Please work, please work, please work…!

"That makes sense!" Hunny smiled.

Inwardly, I sighed in relief.

"Raiden-san, why did your sister run off like that? We just wanted to personally bring her flowers so she would get better soon," Tamaki whined.

I looked at the huge bouquet sitting in an expensive vase.

"She didn't look all that well when I saw her. Maybe she didn't want you to see how she looked? I really couldn't tell you. She is… complicated."

Tamaki stood, along with everyone else. "Please give her our regards, and see that she gets this message: No matter what she looks like, she will always be my princess."

Ugh. How sappy could this guy get?

I nodded, half-smiling. "I will make sure she gets it, Tamaki-san."

They left. But when they thought they were out of earshot, I heard Hikaru tell the others I would make a good Host.

As if.

I really have to stop staying up late writing you these messages!

Write back ASAP,

Rai


	7. Oh Snap oo

I am FREAKING OUT.

Kyoya might be onto me. DX

WHY CRUEL WORLD.

…

Well, now that I'm done with my panic attack, I suppose I should tell you why I was having it.

Here it goes…

I couldn't find my bag. I was sure I had left it by Haruhi's table, but it wasn't there anymore. The 3rd Music Room was deserted, since it was past Club hours. I was actually almost halfway home when I realized I had left my bag at school. By the time I got back to the room, everyone was gone.

Or so I thought.

-insert creepy music here-

"Looking for something, Reiko-san?"

I spun on the spot to see Kyoya standing by the door, my satchel in his hand. He had a fake smile plastered on his face.

"K-Kyoya-san! You found my satchel!" I tried my best to hide my surprise. "Thank you so very much!"

He walked up to me, handing it over. "You know, I was doing some research, and I couldn't find anything on your brother Raiden. In fact, if I hadn't met him, I would have thought you made him up!" Kyoya laughed lightly.

I joined him, my heart rate speeding up. "H-how funny! Now if you'll excuse me, Kyoya-san, I must be going."

Kyoya nodded, holding the door open for me. I bowed slightly in thanks, exiting the room. The sooner I was away from here, the better!

"Oh, Reiko-san! The Host Club has invited our guests to the Ootori's Tropical Aqua Garden theme park this Saturday. Will you and your brother be attending?" Kyoya called after me.

I turned. Snap. If we didn't both attend, he'd become even more suspicious. "Sure, Kyoya-san. I'm positive Raiden and I will both be coming."

He smiled, sun glaring off his glasses to hide his eyes. "We look forward to seeing you there."

End Scene.

…

Why do I get myself into these things?

Luckily, after talking with Mr. Ishikawa (he's a really understanding fellow, you know?), we have come up with a game plan. Foolproof, even Kyoya won't be able to see it coming.

Time to bring in the real twin.

Somehow, my father's employer convinced Mom to let us borrow Reizo for the rest of the week. She could be really stubborn when it came to my twin's whereabouts. He assured her he would have Rei back on Sunday.

Rei was psyched to be coming to Japan, even more excited to see me again, and COMPLETELY pumped to trick people.

In other words, he was really enthusiastic about being me.

Which I totally expected of him. It's good having a twin~

He's arriving tomorrow, and will get heavy-duty training on how to be rich and a real pain for the next three days. Then, on Saturday, we will go to the theme park. I will, of course, be attending as Reiko.

This is going to be kinda fun, as long as neither of us slip up and give away the secret.

I guess I'll tell you about our venture next time I write to you. For now, I bid you goodbye.

Rai~

P.S. You're from Ireland? That's so cool! And yeah, Tamaki is a wimp.

And in my experience, the Host boys can be a bit…. Dense. About yaoi and yuri…Well, I personally wouldn't want to read a manga or watch an anime revolving around it, but… people should be allowed to follow their hearts, y'know? Even if they are just characters.


	8. I'm No Wrestler!

Reiko has started to talk, but no more than three or four words. And I don't know…loads of people don't like Aaron…

About Reizo's energy level… well, I'll just let you decide that for yourself. About the plan:

Well…that turned out a bit different than I expected.

Reizo, although he had loads of fun, left for home this morning. I'm gonna miss him.

Let's start from the beginning of this horrifying tale

Ahem.

"So…remind me why you are bringing my guitar?" I asked him for the umpteenth time.

"To pick up chicks, duh!" Reizo had decided he wasn't going to act like a gentleman until he got there.

"You aren't going to be staying," I reminded him.

"So? I might as well have a bit of fun while I'm here!" He leaned across the limo, tugging a lock of my long hair. Luckily, he and I both wore our hair the same way. There really was no way to tell us apart, as long as we didn't talk. Though our voices were identical, our mannerisms were not. Unless, of course, we attempted to make ourselves truly identical.

I rolled my eyes, sticking my tongue out at him. He returned the gesture. We both grinned.

"Nice to have you back, Rei," I said, winking.

"Nice to be back, _sis_." He found my situation hilarious, and probably would have poked more fun at me had I not threatened to sic Aaron on him. He was absolutely terrified of the giant serpent, which gave me an advantage when we were teasing each other.

"Young master and mistress, we have arrived," our driver monotoned as he opened the door, helping me out. I was wearing a pink halter top that was tight around the chest, but loosened around the waist. Three white butterflies were sewn at the bottom left. It was accompanied by a darker purple knee-length skirt. I had already promised not to go swimming, no matter how much I wanted to. I carried a white over-the-shoulder purse holding both of our phones, I-pods, and a small book for me to read, in case I got bored. I also had a first-aid kit and a pair of sunglasses. Oh, and duck tape. Never know when that'll come in handy.

Reizo looked ready to head into the water with his hair tied back in a ponytail. He had on jet-black swimming trunks with a silver Chinese lung embroidered on the left leg. As for his shirt, it was black as well, with blue flames rising from the base, and Hawaiian-style in that it had buttons running from the top to the bottom. Being Reizo, he had it all the way unbuttoned, showing off his slightly muscular physique. He was lean, just like me, but he had a faint six-pack. To be fair, I had one too, but I couldn't exactly go around advertising the fact I was actually a _boy_. My guitar was slung across his back.

We smiled at the Ootori's employees as they ushered us inside, directing us which way to go after they had confirmed our identities. I went into shock when we stepped into the perfectly recreated oasis.

A bright blue sky stretched overhead, criss-crossed with white lines. Rainforest spread out on all sides of the path. As we followed it, I looked in wonder at the many brightly-colored birds perched in the trees.

The path let out at a beach. There were already several dozen girls laying on the warm white sand or splashing around in the water.

Then, of course, there were the Hosts.

"My dear princess, I'm glad you could make it!" Tamaki had, as always, appeared from nowhere. He held my hands gently in his own.

I averted my gaze, making a light blush color my cheeks. "Tamaki-san…" I breathed. "Tamaki-san, allow me to introduce my brother, Raiden."

Reizo was cracking up on the inside, I could tell. Outwardly, he appeared cool and collected.

"A pleasure to finally meet you formally, Tamaki-san," Rei said quietly, bowing deeply.

Tamaki returned the gesture. "The pleasure is all mine, Raiden-san. Have you decided to re-think your decision in schooling?"

I could tell Tamaki wanted 'Raiden' to join the Host Club.

"Regrettably, I do not think that would be the wisest decision for my education." Wow, Rei wasn't even breaking a sweat!

The two of them walked off, talking about who knows what.

"Rei-chan! Rei-chan!" Hunny bounded up to me. "Aren't you going to swim with Takashi and me?"

I smiled, shaking my head. "Sorry, Hunny-san. I'm not one for swimming…"

I really wish I could have, however. I LOVED to swim. If we had another week, I could have taught Reizo to be Reiko, and I could have been me.

Sadly, we did not have that.

Hunny gave me a sad look, before returning to his customers in the water. He was wearing an inflatable ring, though he didn't need it.

I sat down on a chair, across the table from Haruhi. "Hello, Haruhi-kun."

Haruhi was the only one I didn't address as –san. Why? Probably because he was the first person I actually met. Or maybe it was all the shared walks and lunches.

"Reiko-chan! It's nice to see you again!" He smiled, tilting his head slightly.

"How are you?" I asked politely.

He made a face. "I wasn't too keen on coming back here… I have things to do on Saturdays…"

I smiled, giggling. "Let me guess… Tamaki-san?"

He nodded, smiling.

"Still... surely you must be glad to be here, right? It is rather relaxing…" I leaned back, half-closing my eyes.

"Well, I'll say this: it brings back memories," Haruhi replied.

We fell into silence, and I sighed contentedly, bringing out my book.

I was about halfway through it when Reizo came up to me.

"Rai, can we talk for a moment?" he asked. Thank goodness you can't verbally tell the difference between Rai and Rei.

I stood, allowing him to lead me behind the restroom building.

"What's up?" I asked once I was sure there was no one around.

"I'm tired, but these girls won't leave me alone!" he complained.

"So? What am I supposed to do about it?" I crossed my arms, looking at him expectantly.

"Switch places with me."

YES! Finally, I could do something other than sit there with a book.

"Fine, but you have to promise to sit quietly and not fake-flirt with the Hosts." I wasn't taking any chances with my devilish brother. I knew the way his mind worked: mine was the same way.

"Deal."

I had to sneak into the guy's bathroom via the window, seeing as all the Hosts were busy outside.

We swapped clothes, not bothering about make-up since I hadn't left with any on. He handed me the hair-tie and I put mine up while he shook his out. I walked out, dressed in boy clothes while Reizo snuck back out, now clothed as a girl.

I walked him back over to Haruhi, who was zoned out. He sat down on the chair, out like a light as soon as his head touched the reclining back.

Sheesh. What had those girls done to him?

I walked over to the current pool, stretching. It was time to get some exercise.

"Raiden-kun! Are you going swimming?" A small group of girls had come up behind me while I was stretching.

"Yes…" I answered, uncertain of where they were going with this.

They exchanged glances. "Do you… mind if we watched you?" a cute blonde one asked

A faint smile touched my lips. "Not at all. In fact, I would be honored." I bowed deeply, taking her hand in mine and kissing it gently. Tamaki sure was a good person to watch when it came to flattering girls.

She blushed madly, and the others sighed in envy. I turned around, diving into the current pool. When I came up, I started a butterfly stroke. Though exhausting, it was great for strengthening my body.

When I was thoroughly exhausted, I swam to the edge, hauling my dripping self out of the pool. I hit the heel of my hand against the side of my head a few times to rid my ears of the water. Then I turned to the girls.

"Thank you for keeping me company," I said, smiling.

"I-it was nothing!" stuttered a flushed brunette. I recognized her from my class.

"So where are you going now?" the blonde inquired.

"Well…"I looked around. "I was thinking I would maybe go to that water slide. Would any of you ladies like to accompany me?"

They all looked at the giant, twisting tube. "I-it looks kind of scary…" Manami Inoue, the brunette, said.

"It's not scary when you are with someone," I pointed out. I grabbed her hands, twirling her so I was behind her. My arms wrapped around her waist. "Allow me to accompany you, Manami-san."

She blushed crazily. "I guess I can go, if you are there with me."

I smiled, my breath tickling her neck. We were just about to leave for the slide when I heard a scream. As one group, we bolted in the direction of the alarming sound.

A six-foot alligator had its mouth wide open and was hissing angrily. The bad part? It had one of the girls backed up against the bathhouse. The even worse part? I was the only one close enough to help.

I sprang into action. "Rei!" I called. He jumped. "Grab your purse!"

What did I do? I did a very reckless and foolish thing.

I jumped onto said gator's back.

Imitating Steve Irwin is actually very hard to do, so I just did my own thing. My legs immobilized the beast's thrashing tail while I slammed my elbow down on its head. That stunned it just enough so that I could effectively shut its mouth. Both hands clamped on the powerful jaws, I could only hope Rei could get here fast enough.

"Here!" I released its jaw with one hand, raising my hand to catch the roll of duck tape Rei threw in my direction. Unfortunately, my temporary lapse in focus caused it to slip its tail out from between my legs. The thrashing tail battered my legs until I managed to get it under control again.

Didn't I tell you I'd need it? I taped its jaw shut so it couldn't bite me. Then I held onto the squirming beast for dear life until I heard a little 'fwip' and it stopped moving. I looked up to see a man dressed in a police uniform holding a tranquilizer gun. Gratefully, I rolled off. I was exhausted! Who knew how hard wrestling a gator was?

Anyways, let's just say in order to avoid numerous pointless conversations, Rei and I checked to see if the girl was okay, and then we left.

On the way home, Rei patched me up. My legs were all scratched up, and I had twisted my ankle.

Now I have all Sunday to think of a reason to tell the Host Club why I have a limp.

Any ideas?

Rai.

P.S. I don't know how many places I've lived. I lost count after twelve.

P.P.S. I'm sure it couldn't be THAT bad Mommi. You must have a wonderful voice.


	9. My Realization

…I think I'm gay.

It's Haruhi.

I just can't stop thinking about him. His beautiful smile, those big brown eyes…

Even the scent of his hair is alluring…

He's just so understanding and kind. I think I'm falling in love!

Get yourself together, Rai. You can't. He thinks you are a girl, when you are both actually guys.

WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?

Please help me! I have no clue what to do about this! Should I confess? People confess their love to each other a lot here in Japan, right? How would he feel once I told him I was a guy though! I've been lying to him! GAH!

…

Perhaps I'd better tell you a bit about what happened…

Yesterday, I was walking to school with Haruhi. (BTW, no one noticed my slight limp, luckily. Loved all the suggestions though, they were awesome. I especially liked the one about tripping over Aaron! XD And they didn't ask about the duct tape either. Host members I dislike? Hmm… Tamaki can be a tad bit annoying, and Hunny can get on my nerves some times. Still, I wouldn't say I dislike them…)

"Haruhi, what's your family like?" I asked, keeping my gaze locked on my feet.

"Well, Mom died when I was little, so it's just been me and my dad. Dad's working all the time, so I take care of all the chores," Haruhi replied, looking over at me.

"I…I'm sorry about your mother…" For me, it was almost like I'd lost Mom. I never saw her any more. "But I think I'd like to meet your father."

"Well then why don't you walk home with me after the club today. You can stay for dinner."

I blushed slightly. He invited me to dinner! "That would be…nice. I would want to change first though."

He smiled, doing his signature head-tilt. "That's fine. I can write you up some directions from the place we meet in the morning to my apartment."

I returned the smile. "I can't wait."

The rest of the day dragged on FOREVER. Seriously, couldn't it just end already?

FINALLY the bell rung. Haruhi handed me the map to his house, and then left to get to the Host Club. I had already decided I would skip the Host Club in order to be there on time. I'd probably get lost on the way, remember?

The walk back was lonely…but I forgot about it once I got to the mansion. I dropped Aaron a mouse, hurrying to get dressed. I pulled on a lacy-topped lavender shirt and the knee-length purple skirt I wore to the theme park. On my feet went white flats to match the white-rimmed sunglasses.

I refrained from wearing make-up. That stuff really irritated me, since I was constantly rubbing my eyes. I wore it sometimes, but not a lot.

ANYWAYS, I got lost three or four times on the way. I reached the apartment the same time Haruhi did. Well, when I got to the complex, I saw him standing outside his door.

"Haruhi-kun!" I called, waving as he turned. I ascended the steps, reaching the door as he was opening it. "I got kind of lost…" I admitted.

He grinned. "That's fine. I don't know what you would have done if you had gotten here before I did."

I returned the smirk as he opened the door all the way, gesturing for me to enter.

I took one step inside before I was tackled by a person moving at top-speed.

"Welcome home Haruhi!" the person squealed, hugging me.

Haruhi, standing behind me, sighed. "Dad, that's not me…"

I was released instantaneously. Well, not quite. The person (I now identified him as Haruhi's dad) was gripping my shoulders, looking me up and down.

…Haruhi's dad is a cross-dresser.

He was wearing a white top and a pink skirt.

"You must be one of Haruhi's friends!" he exclaimed. "What's your name?"

"Re-Reiko Ishikawa," I stammered, blinking hard.

"Dad, I'm going to go make dinner. Promise not to scare Reiko-chan too much."

With that, Haruhi disappeared. I was led by Mr. Fujioka into the dining room, where we sat on the floor at a table.

We talked for a bit, until I finally had to admit I had feelings for Haruhi.

"Ranka-sama, could you give me some advice?" I asked, locking my eyes on the table.

"Absolutely, darling. What for?" he asked, leaning forward on his elbows.

I took a deep breath. "I…I think I may be in love with Haruhi, but…"

"But you won't tell, because Haruhi's not gay?" Ranka finished.

I stared at him. He knew I was a boy? "How…how did you know?" I squeaked.

"Haruhi's my kid, I think I should know."

I was confused by his statement, but I couldn't ask his meaning, because Haruhi came in with three plates of soba noodles.

I can't figure out what Mr. Fujioka meant…

Maybe sleeping on it will help me. But no matter what, I've decided I am going to confess to Haruhi tomorrow. If I can work up the courage.

Wish me luck.

Rai.

* * *

**A/N**

**I AM SO SORRY! I stopped uploading, even though the story _is _finished on my computer. I guess I have too many things on my mind... =_='**  
**I swear, this is the only actual author's note. Promise. c':**


	10. A War of Epic Proportions

Ashton-san is a bit formal for me. |3 Just Raiden would be fine, or Rai. But whatever.

It snowed today! The first snow of the season. Aaaaand I chickened out on telling him I liked him. I'm still trying to figure out how to bring it up...Yeah.

To celebrate, afternoon classes were canceled. Yay rich people! Students changed into snow gear and headed outside to build snowmen and the like.

It was perfect packing snow, and by the afternoon, a good five or six inches had accumulated. I waited, but no one started a snowball fight. So I decided to make a premptive strike.

Making a softball-sized snowball, I scanned the courtyard for my victim. There were several I could have chosen: Mori, perhaps, or the twins. But my quarry had to be someone I knew would throw back.

There. A student I'd been told about. His name was Kassanoda, I think. Lots of other students were scared of him. My guess was it's because of his permanent scowl.

That bright red hair was a perfect target. I wound up, hurtling the loosely-packed snow at him. It struck a little lower than I had aimed, hitting his left shoulder. He spun around, looking for the perpetrator.

When he looked at me, I waved, smiling and laughing. He bent down, scooping up a handful of snow and chucking it at me. I ducked, and it hit the boy behind me. Soon it erupted into an all-out every-man-for-himself brawl.

I stepped onto a bench, took a deep breath, and screamed.

The melee stopped almost instantaneously. I cleared my throat, looking at all the faces.

"If we want this to be a real snowball fight, we have to have teams," I explained. "Three of them. Who wants to be captain?"

Hands shot up in the air. Ah, you gotta love rich people. They have manners!

I scanned the crowd. "Kassanoda-san, Renge-san, and… Kyoya-san." Those three should be good captains. Especially Ootori.

They picked their teams, ending up with them divvied like so:

Team Flaming Flamingos: Kassanoda, Haruhi, Hikaru, and two boys I didn't know.

Team Otaku: Renge, Mori & Hunny (package deal), me, and the Chairman.

Team ?: Kyoya, Tamaki, Kaoru, and two more nameless guys.

"Mr. Chairman? When did you get here?" I asked as I counted the team members on each team. Luckily every team was even.

"I saw the teams were uneven, so I thought I might as well join in the frivolity," he replied. I got the sense he was just there to chuck snowballs at his son.

"All right, let's lay down some rules. No iceballs, head and face are off limits, and no leaving your team's territory. Taunts are okay, aiming for the fort is okay as well. No bringing in help from outside the school." I glared at Kyoya, whose phone was halfway out of his pocket. "Once one team gives up, it's a one-on-one deal. No rule. Everyone stops, facing off against ONE member of the opposite team. They then verse each other until all members of one team give in. The remaining players on the winning team turn on one another until there is one person left standing. In the last round, if you get hit you lose. Any questions?"

I looked around.

"What does the winner get?" Hikaru piped up.

"Eternal glory. Any more questions?" I scanned the fifteen or so faces.

"Good. You have two hours in which to build your forts. GO!"

Everyone scattered. The Chairman had called in the secretary, and borders of orange cones had already been set up.

I got to work building the fort with Renge and Mori. Hunny and Mr. Chairman were put in charge of stocking up on snowballs, after I showed them how to pack them right.

We dug down to the pavement, piling snow on two sides, facing both of the other teams. We made it big enough to house all five of us. It was hard to get the height we wanted, since Mori was so hard. Eventually, Mori and I split off, leaving Renge to finish up. We speedily built another fort to house Mori and Hunny. It was also just barely big enough to house most of us if the first one failed.

Hunny made a small wall midway between the two, piling the snowballs behind it.

I glanced at my watch.

"TIME'S UP!" I hollered. Everyone stopped, their forts complete as well. Another inch or two had accumulated.

"Ready! On your marks… get set… GO!"

Mr. Chairman, Renge, Hunny, Mori, and I hid in the first fort, discussing a battle plan.

"We should crush Kassanoda's team, since they are more of a threat. You know Tamaki won't want to hit a girl with a snowball, and Hikaru is much more of a problem than Kaoru. Kassanoda has been raised to lead, so we need to eliminate them as soon as possible," Renge said.

I was impressed. Renge was really into this!

"Right," I agreed. "Mori, Renge, you cover me from back here. I'll dash to the front lines and hit Kassanoda head-on. Mr. Chairman, hassle Team ? from a safe place. Hunny, we need you to keep our snowball stores refilled. Can you do that?"

Everyone nodded.

I snatched up a big, well-formed snowball, peeking around the corner. I jerked my head back to avoid a snowball to the face.

I leaped to my feet, bolting into the fray. Most people were firing from the safety of their forts, but I could spot the flaming red hair anywhere. Snowballs whistled past me, a few striking me, but they weren't very hard.

There he was!

I slid to a stop at the boundary line, hurtling my precious ammo as hard as I possibly could.

He saw it coming, and ducked.

Angrily, I scooped up another snowball, packing it tight ant letting it fly at the place he disappeared.

Perfect timing. He stood up again, only to take it full-force in the chest.

He stumbled back a few steps, looking at me. I punched the air, chucking another snowball in his direction. He dove for his fort, but it hit him in the stomach.

However, as I was celebrating, I was struck in the side. I whirled around to see Hikaru grinning at me from a few feet away. He tossed a snowball up and down in his hands.

I smirked, raising my hand. Mori tossed me a snowball. The second it hit my hand, it was redirected at the smiling twin. It hit his shin, and he frowned, winding up to hit me with another. I ducked at the last second, causing it to whiz harmlessly overhead. I stuck my tongue out at him, fleeing back to the safety of my fortress.

About a half-hour later, Kassanoda caved. He threw in the towel, leaving Team Otaku to face Team ?

We had lost Renge a little while back, so we were outnumbered. One of Team ?'s boys I didn't know volunteered to sit out.

The rest of us were paired up by Kassanoda:

Kyoya and Hunny

Tamaki and Chairman

Me and Kaoru

Mori and nameless dude.

"You should just give in now," Kaoru, warned, smirking evilly. He obviously thought he was going to win. No way was I going to let that happen. Kaoru was going down. "One hit KO."

I winked at Kaoru. "Wild Reiko uses Extremespeed!"

As soon as I said that sentence, Kassanoda yelled for us to start. I turned tail and ran.

"Hey!" I heard Kaoru yell as he took off after me. "This is a snowball fight, not a marathon!"

I slowed up a bit, until he had nearly caught me. Leaning down, I flung snow up in the air. By the sounds he made, it hit him full in the face. I skidded to a halt, scooping up more snow and making a snowball as he shot by. He tried to turn, but slipped on a patch of ice, falling face-first into a snow drift. He started to get up, but my snowball knocked his elbow out from under him. He face planted again.

"I give up," he groaned into the snow.

Grinning from ear to ear, I turned, looking for everyone else. Mori was sitting on a bench, nameless guy on the ground a few yards away nursing a forming bruise on his shin. Hunny had gotten distracted by someone walking by with a cake, so Kyoya had beaten him. He didn't seem to mind though, as the tiny senior munched o his sweets next to Mori.

As was to be expected, Tamaki was done for. Mr. Chairman had practically murdered the blond youth, who was now in a corner of the courtyard, growing mushrooms.

So it was Mori, Mr. Chairman, and I against Kyoya. Wait, make that Mr. Chairman and I against Kyoya. Since Hunny was out, Mori decided to resign honorably.

Faced with a 'girl' and the head of the school, Kyoya decided it was in his best interest to follow in Mori's footsteps.

So let's revise that sentence one more time. It was me against Mr. Chairman.

"I hope you know I'm not going to go easy on you," Mr. Chairman warned, smiling at me as we faced off.

"I wouldn't dream of it," I replied, returning the grin.

"GO!" Tamaki yelled, and I spun on my heels, bolting off. As I expected, Mr. Chairman had learned from Kaoru's mistakes and did not pursue me.

This is where part two of my evil plan comes in.

I hurdled the small wall surrounding the pond. It was completely frozen, as I expected. My feet slipped on the ice, and I fell backward. My shoulders hit the ice with a cracking noise, and I hurriedly laid my head down. I needed him to think it was my head that hit the ice, even though I really had just bruised my shoulder blades.

I peered out from half-closed eyes as everyone ran over, circling me. The chairman was there, 'helping' me sit up.

"Are you okay? How many fingers am I holding up?" he asked, three fingers up.

I blinked slowly. "Doesn't matter…" I announced, eyes flying wide open as I smacked him in the face with a handful of snow.

"I win!"

Everyone thought it was hilarious.

~Rai


	11. Let's Hit the Mall

I swear there is something wrong with me.

It's not _that _hard to ask a girl out, why should Haruhi be any different? Now I'm beginning to see why girls hardly ever ask guys out.

Sooo yeah. I've been avoiding him. Now it's Saturday, and I haven't a thing to do. Mr. Ishikawa suggested I take Reiko shopping in the department store by the train station. Just for fun. I suppose that might not be so bad.

Anywho, about your possible solo. I think it'd be great. Your friends wouldn't want you to get up there and embarrass yourself, right? They must have real faith in your vocal abilities. Besides, it would be fun. I wish I could come to your concert!

Ah, here comes Reiko. I think I will take her shopping. I'll finish the letter when I get back.

Oh, and yes, that was a Pokémon reference. I love Pokémon, best game there is. ;D

And the only game I can play.

-x-

Well…

That was something.

We didn't run into anyone from Ouran, thank goodness, but we did have an interesting adventure, which included me getting lost. Again.

So we left the house and the chauffer dropped us off right at the train station and told us to call the mansion if we needed anything.

I turned to Reiko once we got inside. "So where do you want to go first?" I asked, shifting my guitar case on my back. She shrugged, eyes following the retreating vehicle. She looked cute in her faded skinny jeans and flowing blue top with a thin white belt around her upper stomach. Her jeans were tucked into mid-calf Ugg boots.

"Hmm…" I mused, looking around. "How about the music store?" I asked her, pointing to a small outlet that had a few notes adorning the sign.

"Okay," she replied in a voice barely above a whisper. It was my turn to shrug, heading towards the shelves stuffed with CDs. Reiko followed very closely behind, gaze turned towards the ground. Well, it was an improvement, considering when I first came she probably wouldn't have even left the house.

After looking through a few rows of disks, I noticed she hadn't so much as strayed a foot from my side. Nor did she seem the least bit interested in the music.

I sighed. "You're not fond of this store, are you?" I asked, turning to face her. Again, she shrugged. Placing one hand on her shoulder, I tilted her chin up to look at me. "Where would you like to go? And no shrugs this time."

She held my gaze for a few moments. "Yodobashi," she finally said, naming a major electronics store. Nodding, I took her hand and we headed to the directory. The Yodobashi outlet was on the second floor, so we had to take the escalator. Funnily enough, the closer we got to the store, the more relaxed she became.

As soon as I stepped into the store, I was even more confused. It seemed to specialize in video games. I'd met some gamer girls before, but they didn't tend to be anything like Reiko. I would never have expected her to be one.

We were the only ones in the store aside from a group of three guys who were playing some sort of Rockband game in the corner. I turned to see how Reiko was doing, but she was gone.

Urgently, I scanned the rows until I laid eyes on her familiar brunette head, over in the X-box section. She had two different cases in her hands, and needless to say I was surprised when I saw their titles. One was Call of Duty: Black Ops, and the other was Halo 3: ODST. Seemingly in her element, I let her be, pretending to peruse the various video games.

Meanwhile, the guys in the corner, from what I could gather, were all attempting to beat the hardest song on the game at the highest level. Looked like a fruitless adventure. None of them could get more than half way or three fourths through the song without failing. I wandered over to the guys. They quietly accepted my presence with a few head nods and a couple of 'hey's. I knew I certainly wasn't going to give it a try. A real guitar was good enough for me.

When the game flashed the failure screen for about the fiftieth time, the guy with the guitar put it down and sighed. "I'm telling you guys, it's impossible. No one can do it," he groaned, running a hand through spiked black hair.

"Let me try."

We all turned to see Reiko looking from the guitar to the screen to the boy and back again. There was a confident glow in her eyes and voice that I had never seen before.

The guy shrugged after recovering from the initial surprise. "Sure, but good luck. We've been here for hours."

She offered him a faint smile, accepting the faux instrument and slinging the strap over her shoulder. Using the strum-thing, she moved the cursor to 'Replay'. Hitting the green button, the song began.

It started off fast-paced, with colors flying everywhere. With a calm gaze, Reiko didn't miss a single one. My gaze soon became fixated on everyone else's expression. Jaws were dropping as far as they could, and no one seemed to be able to blink. My hand went up to my mouth as I attempted to hide a smile. Of course she could do it, she was full of surprises.

The song finished, and she had managed to hit 94 percent of the notes, which was amazingly good since the guys hadn't even managed to finish the song.

They were all staring at her as she placed the controller on the ground and turned to me, a faint smile brushing her lips.

"I'm a bit hungry… can we go to the food court?" she asked me, blue eyes filled with satisfaction. I nodded, moving to open the door for her. The three guys watched us go, still in a state of shock. Even the workers from behind the counter craned their necks to see us leave.

Oh-ho-ho but it gets better. There are still two more surprises in store for us, one not so pleasant.

I'm really tired now, to I think I'll recount the other two tomorrow.

Talk to you then. Who knows, I might even get a letter from you by then!

~Rai


	12. An Announcement

Friends will be friends. Don't worry about it – you don't have to do that solo now, eh? That's a plus, if you really weren't sure. Anywho, I didn't manage to catch the name of the game, sorry. I have played Brawl once, but failed epically. I tried Ike, while my brother played Sheik. I was killed.

As for a pet snake…well…a corn snake would be a good one if you've never had a snake before. They don't grow too big, are generally pretty easygoing, and are pretty easy to care for. Mind you, the majority are excellent escape artists, so you might want to keep that in mind.

Back to the story of the outlets, eh? Then I've got some big news for you. ;D

So where did I leave off? Oh, right, the food court. In case you have never been to one, let me just tell you there is hardly any place where there are two seats available. Especially on a Saturday at noon. We finally found a table at something that looked like a McDonalds, but not. Leaning my guitar against my chair, I placed my hands on the small of my back and stretched.

"Alright Reiko, do you want to order or shall I?" I asked, leveling my currently brown eyes at her. She took one look at the strangers behind the counter and sat down in her chair.

"You go, I'll save the seats," she decided. "You can get me whatever you think I'd like."

I glanced at her, then back at the menu. "Have you ever actually had fast food?" I queried, raising an eyebrow.

She nodded. "Once or twice, maybe."

Sighing, I headed up to the counter. A quick run though of the menu left me with a craving for a burger and fries.

"May I take your order please, sir?" the teenage girl behind the register asked in a kind voice.

I gave her a small smile. "Yes, thank you. May I have a… double cheeseburger, a chicken strip basket, some fries, and… two medium sodas?"

"Coming right up," she said, returning the smile. Nice service was always a plus. In a matter of minutes, I had my food and was maneuvering through the crowds. And here comes the _not _so pleasant surprise.

One of the guys from the video game store was there, sitting in my seat. From what I could see of Reiko's face, he was trying to sweet talk her. And she didn't like it one bit.

Then I got within hearing distance.

"C'mon, sexy. Ditch the loser and I can show you the time of your life."

A knot of anger began to form in my stomach. I don't really know why. Couldn't he se she was not interested? I coldly walked up to the table, setting the tray down a bit harder than was necessary.

He looked up, challenge apparent in his dark eyes. "Hey man, we were just talking about you! Mind if I take your girlfriend out for a test drive?"

"She's my sister," I said shortly. His eyes widened slightly as he realized the greater danger of a brother's anger versus a boyfriend's jealousy, but I had already begun to do something I regret. Grabbing the chair, I dumped him unceremoniously onto the floor in one fluid motion.

"Now beat it, if you know what's good for you," I growled in a low tone, popping a fry into my mouth. He looked like he was about to fight, but when he met my gaze he thought twice of it and ran, shooting a murderous glare over his shoulder.

"Thank you," Reiko said in a small voice, reaching for her chicken and offering me a small smile.

That was the end of the conversation.

Do you think I did the right thing? I mean, I know I could have handled the whole thing peacefully, but that boy's tone just… ugh, I don't even know. Reiko has grown to be a sort of sister to me. We live together, right? Some sort of relationship had to come out of it. I suppose the anger I felt is typical for an older brother when they see a guy trying to 'pick up' their little sister, especially in such a crude manner. What do you think?

Ah, well, at least something else happened to lighten my mood. I eat rather quickly, so I was sitting there sipping my soda while Reiko munched away on her own food.

"Umm… excuse me…"

I turned my head to see who had spoken. Two girls, probably mid- to late-teens, were standing, looking nervously at me.

"Yeah?" I asked, letting them know they had my attention.

"Well, we couldn't help but notice you have a guitar. Are you any good? Can you sing?"

Unsure of where they were going with this, I nodded.

"You see, it's our friend's 16th birthday today, but the musician we hired to sing to her hasn't shown. Could you maybe…" they trailed off, looking at me imploringly.

I held their gaze for a moment before a small smile touched my lips.

"I'd be glad to full in, if I know the songs," I offered, and they visibly relaxed.

One grabbed my arm, nearly pulling me out of my seat. "Come on," she urged. I snatched my guitar strap. The other girl grabbed Reiko, dragging her along too, half-eaten food left behind, forgotten.

"We stopped at a group of tables surrounded by teens, mostly girls. They were chattering about whatever came into their heads.

"We've returned!" the girl holding my arm announced. I'm sure I looked like a deer in headlights, because I was completely bewildered. The statement was met with a small chorus of cheers.

A hand came down on my head, and I whirled around. The girl that had been dragging Reiko held her hands up, palms facing out. "You needed a bow," she defended.

Now feeling like a total idiot with a big red bow stuck to my head, I was pushed through the throng until we came before a tall, gangly brunette. She furrowed her brow at me, gaze flickering questioningly between the two girls.

"Happy Birthday, Fumi!" the girl on the left laughed. The one on the right made the birthday girl, Fumi, sit on the table while I pulled out my guitar, strumming it and tuning it. When I was satisfied, I turned to her.

"Any requests?" I asked, trying to ignore the whispers and hushes around me.

She thought for a moment. "Umm…do you know any songs from an American band called Secondhand Serenade?"

I smiled. They were a good band, and I knew several songs. "Your Call, Stranger, or Vulnerable?" I inquired. "And would you like me to translate the lyrics?"

She smiled. "Your Call is my favorite. I like it best in English."

Clearing my throat, I strummed experimentally. The notes seemed to cast a spell on the entire room, even those not involved in the party. Suddenly feeling self-conscious, I strummed the opening chord again.

"_Waiting for your call, I'm sick, call I'm angry _

_call I'm desperate for your voice _

_Listening to the song we used to sing _

_In the car, do you remember _

_Butterfly, Early Summer _

_It's playing on repeat, Just like when we would meet_

_Like when we would meet," _I sang, eyes half-closed as I felt the nervousness and worry melt away. I was filled with joy. It had been forever since I had sung for anyone. Other than Aaron, I mean, and he wasn't exactly what one would call a good audience.

"_Cause I was born to tell you I love you _

_and I am torn to do what I have to, to make you mine _

_Stay with me tonight._ "

I looked up to see her with her eyes closed. She swayed slightly, matching the tempo. A faint smile adorned her face, and she looked so happy.

"_Stripped and polished, I am new, I am fresh _

_I am feeling so ambitious, you and me, flesh to flesh _

_Cause every breath that you will take _

_when you are sitting next to me _

_will bring life into my deepest hopes, What's your fantasy? _

_What's your, what's your, what's your..."_

I repeated the chorus, gaze flicking around at everyone. Half were watching me with contented looks on their faces, while the other half were mouthing the lyrics to themselves.

"_And I'm tired of being all alone, and this solitary moment makes me want to come back home. _

_And I'm tired of being all alone, and this solitary moment makes me want to come back home._

_And I'm tired of being all alone, and this solitary moment makes me want to come back home."_

My head jerked around to look, surprised, at Reiko. She had joined in for the duet part. Quietly, yes, but it still surprised me. Her eyes were shut tightly, and her fists were clenched. It was slightly different, having a female and a male voice rather than two male ones, but it was…nice._  
_  
We finished out the song and were greeted by applause.

As soon as we could, we excused ourselves and headed out back to the train station. I called, and our ride was waiting for us there. I opened the door and let her climb in. She sighed when I climbed in after her, presumably the relief of getting out of public.

I slipped an arm around her shoulder and she leaned into me.

"You have a beautiful voice," I told her in a low voice.

She smiled slightly, closing her eyes. She fell asleep before we got home, so I had to carry her up to her room. Setting her on her bed, I gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and left.

It's nice, having a sister. I don't know why people complain about them so much.

Anyways, the surprise….

This afternoon Reiko made a big decision. She told her father that she wanted to return to Ouran, but only under one condition. I had to go with her, for the first month or two, at least. Just until she became comfortable with her surroundings.

Ah hah! You are wondering how we could pull it off. Let's just say Mr. Ishikawa "accidentally" let it slip that his daughter had fallen down the stairs and suffered a concussion. Yeah, far-fetched, I know, but possible. And – get this – she suffered memory loss from it! XD

That'll cover her not knowing people, as well as the 'sudden attitude change', we hope.

Ehh, it'll have to do.

Gotta go, it's time for bed. First day with Reiko at school tomorrow.

Night!


	13. Confidence Booster

All in all, things went quite well today. No explosions, no broken bones, no ambulance assistance necessary… Yep.

But before I get into that, I just wanted to say congratulations on coming to Japan! Now that I've lived here for a while it kind of seems a touch overrated, but it's good that you're excited. I'm sorry to hear about your aunt though….how is she doing?

As for Brawl, I've never really gotten the hang of any games other than Pokémon. Oh, and Super Mario Sunshine. Best. Game. Ever. I'm into the older games, so I haven't tried that one yet~

Ahem, pardonnez moi? Good times? I mean, maybe the snowball fight, but…. The rest would be classified as "Interesting times", not so much "good"… at least in my book.

Where was I again? Oh right, time to explain my first day.

Well, I woke up a bit early to try to figure out what to wear. The male uniform we ordered yesterday hadn't come in yet, so I had to wear everyday clothes that were still nice. Semi-formal, shall we say?

In the end I chose a white button-up dress shirt and a black vest, matched with black, slightly large skinny jeans and a white belt. I slipped on a pair of new black converse after throwing my hair up into a low ponytail and went to find Reiko.

When I walked into her room, I found her tangled up in her uniform. I have no idea how she tried to put it on, or why there were no maids there, but muffled comments were being issued from beneath the fabric.

I tried not to laugh as I approached her. "Here, let me help," I offered. She stopped flailing around, allowing me to untwist the fabric and slide her head and arms through the designated areas. Turning her face towards me, she offered me a thankful smile, saying nothing. I nodded back, tying the red ribbon around her neck.

"Need any help with anything else?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. She shook her head. "Alright then, try not to hurt yourself. I'll meet you downstairs in ten for a quick breakfast, okay?" She nodded.

Taking that as my answer, I headed out the door and back into my room. I popped into the bathroom to put in my brown contact, sliding the contact case into my faux leather satchel alongside the schoolbooks Reiko would need. Since I was going to be there anyways, why not carry her bookbag, right? I might as well be a gentleman.

After double checking to make sure I had all of the assignments and notes for the classes, I headed into the dining room, glancing at my watch. I was a little early. Turning around, I saw my 'sister' enter the room. Normally I'd say the yellow dress wasn't much to look at, but yellow was definitely one of her colors. She looked adorable with her bangs braided away from her face and secured at the back of her head with a red bow.

Breakfast, consisting of toast, eggs, and bacon, had been set out on the table. We slid into the two set places, on opposite sides of the table. In silence, we ate.

The ride to school was uneventful, but things started to get a bit weird for me once we got to school. I stepped out of the limo, bag slung over my shoulder, and helped Rei out of the car. The clumps of students passing by began to whisper and point at us. I knew they were talking about Rei's 'accident', and that surely wouldn't help with her shyness.

She slid her hand into mine, and I squeezed it reassuringly. She was going to have to make it through the day without having a panic attack, because the chauffer had been ordered not to pick her up under any circumstances until after school was over. Mr. Ishikawa was really a nice guy, but he wanted his daughter to overcome her fear.

Sooooo yeah. We eventually made it to room 1-A, though Rei ended up pale-faced with white knuckles clenching my hand in a death grip. Opening the door, I ushered her inside.

Almost immediately, the class grew quiet, every eye fixed on us. Rei started to hyperventilate, and turned to run. I stepped in her way, wrapping my arms around her and patting her back as I whispered reassurances in her ear. My now-brown eyes met every other pair in that room, sending them the "go back to what you were doing" look. Slowly, conversation in the room picked up. With one arm still wrapped around her shoulder, I led her to her seat behind Kaoru. She sat down, and I placed her bookbag next to her. The seat next to hers had always been empty, so I took it.

"Class, settle down, it's time to begin," started Mizuru-sensei. "Before lessons commence, Mr. Ishikawa has given me a message I am to relay to you. Since Reiko-san's fall, which I am sure you have all heard about, she has developed amnesia, as well as an extreme shyness. He requests that you all give her and her brother, Raiden, some space to become reaccustomed. Thank you."

And so the day began.

The class left us alone, though quite a few looks were thrown in our direction. Reiko kept her eyes plastered to the notes she was taking, and seemed to be turning a blind eye towards the glances. I took my own notes, though the attempts were half-hearted. I was too busy worrying about what was running through her head.

When the bell rang for lunch, I got up, moving to take Kaoru's chair, when the chairman announced an emergency student meeting in the auditorium. We all groaned, thinking it was an untimely interruption into our precious lunch hour. I placed a comforting arm around Rei's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze as we allowed ourselves to be swept along in the current of students.

Once everyone had been accounted for, Chairman Suoh stepped onstage, microphone in hand. He cleared his throat before announcing the devastating news.

"There has been a jailbreak in a federal prison near here. We have reason to believe that several convicts might attempt to kidnap some of Ouran's students. Arrangements have been made for you all to stay here until either the criminals have been rounded up or your individual families provide a mode of transport, preferably aerial. As for now, it is required that you head to your clubs and remain in groups no smaller than three. Those few students without a club should report to my office, where I will assign you one to be with for the duration of this threat. Thank you, that is all."

Soooo….yeah. Can you guess where we were assigned? Anyone?

The Host Club.

And I was hoping to escape this school with at least a shred of Rei's self-confidence left.

Huh, so much for that.

Wish me luck, I'm gonna need it.


	14. Killer Games

Dear Pen Pal,

Umm… isn't ½ Prince a Manhua? But yep, I've read it.

Anywho…

My night was…interesting to say the least. But at least they finally got the area secure enough for us to go home. I'm glad to get out of this loony bin. Hopefully they won't build any more jails anywhere NEAR a school. Bad idea for the town planners, eh?

As for your questions, I technically am not a student at Ouran. Once Reiko gets used to the area enough so my presence isn't necessary, I'll be kicked out of there faster than you can say "Boo". But Mr. Ishikawa apparently came up with some sort of legal documents or something to let me pass the scrutiny of the secretaries. I honestly have no clue how he did it.

Dad's been off trying to find another job in the area, since this one will come to a close soon enough. He promised he'd do all in his power to keep us from moving too far, but we all know how well that's worked out in the past. Mr. Ishikawa has graciously allowed us to stay with him until Dad finds another job.

And judging by the way the past twenty-four hours went, I think he was pretty insistent on our staying here.

How exactly did it go, you might ask?

Well it went badly right off the bat. We were standing outside the Third Music Room, with me holding Reiko's hand.

"They really aren't that bad," I assured her. "Well, Tamaki's a bit of a nutcase, and the twins are just weird, but the others should respect your personal space." With a bit of luck, I thought, we could make it through this alive.

I opened the door, slipping inside with Reiko hidden half behind me.

The Host Club was gathered on two couches that had been slid together in front of a large flat-screen TV. I knew enough by now not to ask where it came from. They all turned at the sound of the door opening.

Hunny was the first to move.

"Rei-chan!" he squealed, running up to her with Usa-chan in his arms. He stopped just short of us, furrowing his brow as Reiko squeaked, ducking behind me.

"What's wrong with Rei-chan?" Hunny asked me, poking out a pouting lip.

I ruffled his hair. "Rei-chan hit her head, so she can't remember a thing. She's really shy now," I explained. His eyes grew wide.

"Poor Rei-chan!" he exclaimed as Reiko calmed down a bit, poking her head out from behind me. The short blonde held out Usa-chan to her. "Maybe Usa-chan can help her remember!"

Reiko gently took the bunny from his hands, looking at it for a second before hugging it gently. Hunny grinned, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the couches. She looked back at me, eyes wide. I followed closely behind, inwardly sighing.

The next half an hour was filled with Tamaki's rant about how sad it was that Princess Reiko could no longer remember the sweet moments she had spent with the Host Club. I was sitting next to her on a couch, with Hunny on her other side.

"Did you really do everything he said you did?" she whispered in my ear. I shook my head.

"He's quite the dramatic."

She giggled slightly.

Eventually, Tamaki calmed down enough so that we could choose what movie to watch. That was, in and of itself, an adventure of epic proportions. Renge wanted to go with a sappy love film, and Tamaki was advocating _Romeo and Juliet_. Hunny was following a kind of similar course with _Gnomeo and Juliet_. The twins desperately wanted to see _The A Team_, with Mori supporting Hunny's decision. I personally wanted to go for _The Lion King_, since I was a sucker for old Disney movies. Haruhi agreed with me.

It all came down to Reiko's choice. She looked carefully over the five films, then pushed them all aside. She picked up the remote, flipping through the Netflix until she came to a stop on _Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron._

"Of course!" I exclaimed. "That's the perfect compromise. It's animated kind of like Lion King, but it's got romance and kick-butt action." I turned to Hunny. "And it's about horses."

Everyone decided it was a good idea, so we settled down on the couches. Everyone shuffled seats until we came up with a good seating arrangement. Reiko sat on the inner edge of one couch, with Mori next to her. Hunny sat on his lap, with Haruhi on the outer edge. On the other couch, Tamaki sat on the inner edge with Kyoya in the middle and Renge on the outside. I sat on the ground in front of Reiko, while the twins sat to my right.

"Wait – we're missing something!" I exclaimed just before the play button was hit. I bopped my forehead before hopping to my feet and heading into the miniature kitchen that was used to store the beverages and desserts the club used daily. I opened the cabinet, finding a few things of instant coffee. That was certainly not what I was looking for…

Where was it…I thought for sure I'd seen Haruhi carrying it in last time he went out to buy supplies. AH! Then I found it. A whole box of popcorn. Grabbing a few bags, I had them popped and heaped in four bowls in no time. I balanced the snacks precariously as I walked back into the room.

"What's that smell?" Hunny asked, nose wiggling as he craned his neck to see what was in the bowls.

"Popcorn!" I announced, smiling as I gave one bowl to Hunny, one to Kyoya, one to Mori, and one to Kaoru. "We're gonna have ta share though."

Everyone tried some, finding it much to their liking, except Kyoya. He simply pressed his lips tightly together and pushed his glasses higher on his nose. He looked like he had something he wanted to say, but he held it in. I settled back in, and the movie began.

I'd had no idea they would love it so much. I mean, Tamaki just about cried in the very beginning when Spirit was being taken from his homeland. Then the twins cheered him on during "Get Off Of My Back". Haruhi teared up when Rain got shot, and even Kyoya clapped when the Indian saved Spirit during the fire. The final jump at the top of the canyon was met with unison applause and whoops of joy.

Once the credits were scrolling, we all just sat in silence, soaking in the awesomeness that we'd just witnessed.

"So…" I finally broke the silence. "Good movie?"

"That was the best movie ever!" Hunny exclaimed. Mori nodded in agreement. The others all praised the film too.

The grandfather clock chimed 3, and the room fell silent. No one really had any idea what to do for the next X number of hours we were stuck here.

Finally I couldn't stand the silence anymore. "Can we do something? Play Mafia or Wink or Ninja or something?" I said, standing and stretching.

Everyone looked at me, blinking.

"Play…what?" Tamaki asked, a blank look on his face. Did he seriously not know what Mafia was?

"Mafia. We deal out cards, the person with the ace of spades is the mafia member. Everyone looks around at each other, and the mafia member winks at people. If you get winked at, you wait a few moments before pretending to die. If someone saw the mafia wink, then they can accuse them and the mafia loses. If no one catches him, play continues until everyone is either dead or he does get caught." I explained, gesturing with my hands.

Everyone nodded in assent after a general bit of mumbling. We sat in a circle on the floor, and I dealt out the cards. Picking up my hand, I frowned slightly when I noticed I did not have the card. Hm, well, I'd just have to catch the killer then, wouldn't I?

Everyone set their cards on the ground and began to glance around. I looked from Hikaru to Mori, then to Tamaki and Hunny. Before I could go any further, Tamaki began coughing and wheezing, going on about how he was too young to die. Then he laid still, smiling gently.

Now that that episode was over, I went back to glancing around. As I looked to Kyoya, his head jerked back as if he had been shot by a bullet, and he went limp.

I raised an eyebrow. Was not expecting that, I must say.

Then I saw a flicker of movement out of the right corner of my eye. I turned, staring suspiciously at Haruhi. There! Mori's eyes rolled back in his head and he 'died' just as the brunette winked at Hunny.

"Ha!" I cried out in unison with Kaoru, pointing at Haruhi. "You're the mafia," Kaoru continued.

Haruhi nodded and the round was over.

We re-dealt the cards, and playing resumed with everyone alive. First Hikaru died, then Haruhi, followed by Mori. I glanced to my left to see if Reiko was doing okay, and she met my gaze. A soft flutter of movement, barely noticeable, in her right eye…was that a wink?

Yes. Yes it was.

I looked back over at Kaoru, then shuddered violently and went limp. Next to die was Tamaki, then Hunny.

Left was Kaoru, Kyoya, and, obviously, Reiko.

Kaoru pointed at Kyoya. "You killed my brother!" he cried out 'angrily'.

Kyoya opened his mouth to retort, but instead went completely stiff.

Kaoru looked over at Reiko, who winked, smiling at him.

"Reiko wins!" I announced, sitting up. "So what now?"

They decided to play Wink, who knows why, but I regret picking that game now.

But that story, my friends, shall have to wait for another day.

Bye!

~Raiden


	15. Wink Wink Nudge Nudge

Heya Pen-pal.

So….Winks.

Let me explain how to play, first off, so you know EXACTLY what I was getting myself into…You will either shake your head or crack up laughing, I guarantee it.

One: You pair up. I made them mix it up a bit, so we drew names out of a hat. Kaoru was paired with me, Haruhi with Reiko, Tamaki with Mori, Hunny with Kyoya, leaving Hikaru in the center. Kyoya tried to get out of playing, but we needed an odd number, so… Tamaki begged him til he agreed to.

Second: Everyone but the solo person stands in a circle, one person crouching in front of their standing partner, all facing the center of the circle where the winker (Hikaru) crouches.

Third: The winker looks around and winks at one pair.

Fourth: The crouching member of that pair tries to get to the winker and give them a kiss, whether it be on the hands, arm, cheek… The standing member does all in their power to restrain their partner.

Fifth: If the croucher makes it to the winker, they become partners and the stander is the new winker. If they do not in a reasonable amount of time, the croucher becomes the new winker and the winker partners with the stander, if that makes any sense.

So…Kissing game. I can only say I'm glad it was NOT spin-the-bottle. That would've been disastrous. Even so, when Haruhi objected, Kyoya pulled him aside and muttered something. The brunette nodded, returning to his position, a defeated expression on his cute face. I said nothing. Kyoya's production of a small digital camera at various points during the game proved explanation enough.

Hikaru looked around, gaze flitting from croucher to croucher (aka me, Reiko, Mori, and Hunny). He winked at Hunny, who was diving towards him before Kyoya could react. Hunny grabbed Hikaru's hand, placing a gentle kiss on it and avoiding any unintentional awkwardness. So, naturally, Kyoya took the position of winker. He rested his gaze levelly on me before tilting his head up and causing a glare to shoot across his glasses. Then he winked at Reiko. She didn't move quite as fast as Hunny, but she was lithe and managed to slip and twist out of Haruhi's hand, which had wrapped around her wrist. A quick kiss was planted on Kyoya's cheek, and the two of them moved wordlessly out of the circle, which Haruhi took up position inside.

He glanced around, seemingly bored, before winking directly at me. Almost immediately, Kaoru had my arms pinned to my sides as he practically wrapped himself around me. I struggled against him, trying to rise, when, all of a sudden, he let go.

Cue the end of the miraculously short game.

Why?

Because I fell, quite literally, on top of Haruhi in a rather awkward position, my lips colliding with his. I stayed there for a second, savoring the kiss, before I returned to my senses and I realized what I was doing. My face went from ashen white to beet red in a matter of seconds, and I leapt to my feet, apologizing profusely before running into the hall.

I shut the door behind me, trying to calm my breathing and slow my racing heart. Slowly, my fingers reached up to touch my tingling lips. I could hardly believe that happened. His lips…they were so soft. And the way his brown doe-eyes had widened…it was inexplicably cute. I knew it then: I liked him. If that made me gay, who cares. Dad would still accept me for who I was, and that's what matters. Too bad Haruhi wasn't gay though. No, he flirted with too many chicks to be.

Daaaang this sucked. This sucked real bad.

UGHHHHHH.

I heard a click as the other door opened and Haruhi poked his head out. He looked concerned.

"Hey," he said. "You okay?"

I held his gaze for a moment before locking my jaw and looking away. I mumbled something incoherent as the brunette crouched down next to me, placing one hand on my shoulder.

"You left pretty quick…" he started, before pausing, as if unsure of how to continue. "Look, if you're worried about the twins teasing you or something, I'll tell them not to, but-"

"Ilikeyou…" I told him in a tiny voice, my face starting to turn red again.

"What?"

"I like you," I repeated, louder, turning my head to face him. "I like you a lot. Like, in the way guys should like chicks, but not with a chick, obviously, cuz you're a dude, but, I mean, I liked that kiss. I want you to know that I did, and that I do really like you, but I know you're not homo so that's a bit of an issue and I mean I wouldn't expect you to go out with a guy like me even if you were. I mean-"

My babbling rant was cut short as he burst into laughter.

Confused, I closed my mouth, searching his face for some kind of answer.

Then came a reply that made my heart leap with joy.

"I'm a girl."

~Raiden

P.S. See what I did there? Cliffhanger! :P


	16. Confessions of a Teen Transvestite

Yo dude!

So….yeah. Apparently Haruhi is a chick.

WHICH MEANS I'm not gay.

Which means I have a chance. :D

Cuz, well, y'see, she DIDN'T reject me. But that's probably cuz she didn't have the time to.

Y'see, when I found out that she was a girl, I burst into hysterical laughter of relief and shock. That drew the entire host club out into the hall.

"I'm not gay!" I laughed in response to their questioning looks.

That only served to make them more confused.

"Wait…Raiden, how could you like me? You hardly know me." Haruhi's gaze had turned quizzical.

Ohh snap. Now I had two choices here: a, I tell them about me faking being a chick or b, BS a bunch of crap.

So, logically, I decided to tell the truth.

"Um, well… it's a long story, but…I'm the Reiko you actually know."

Now I was getting REALLY weird looks. Silently, I ushered everyone inside and sat them down. Then I told the entire story from the beginning. By the time I was done, I was being given looks of shock, awe, and disbelief.

"Wait…Rei-chan has blue eyes, and you have brown…how did you do that?" Hunny asked, eyes wide.

I took out my contact, revealing my blue eyes. "I have heterochromia, which tends to freak people out, so I carry a blue and a brown contact and can change them whenever I feel," I explained. Apparently they were just as dizzy as anyone else would be at the thought.

"And the other you? You produced another copy at the amusement park, if I am not mistaken," Kyoya added, light glinting on his glasses.

"I have an ACTUAL twin named Reizo who lives in the states with my mom. We flew him in to act as me."

Tamaki looked between Reiko and I. "The resemblance is uncanny, though."

I nodded. "Luck of the draw, I guess."

Tamaki snapped his fingers. "Since you're a boy, you can finally take me up on my offer to come here and be a host!" A broad grin spread across his face. "At least while Princess Ishikawa needs your assistance."

I hesitated. "Well, I mean, I don't know…"

"You would be able to spend more time with Haruhi," Kyoya said. "And it would give Miss Reiko more time to adapt to social life."

The twins stiffened slightly at this. "Boss, it wouldn't be fair to offer a host indefinitely," they argued, shooting looks at me like I was trying to steal something of theirs. I got the vague impression they liked her.

"No, it's perfect!" Tamaki decided, obviously thrilled. "For a limited time only, meet Raiden, the exotic type!"

I tilted my head slightly. "…Exotic type?"

"Yes! You're foreign, have traveled all over the world, have a wild appearance, and have tamed the ferocious and frightening python! You could even bring him here every once in a while!" Tamaki was talking wildly with his hands, his eyes glazed over with visions. "We could even have a special themed dance to reveal the new host!"

And thus it was decided. I was to be a new host for as long as I could. Reiko and I excused ourselves to go to bed. It was only then that I realized what exactly Tamaki had said.

"Hey…I don't look wild, do I?" I asked Reiko, concern in my voice.

She rolled over on her couch, peering off the edge to look at me on the floor. She took in the long hair, the odd eyes, the angled features.

"It has its charm," she responded softly, smiling slightly before rolling back over and closing her eyes.

I did the same, falling asleep rather quickly.

I woke up early the next morning to an all-clear message from Chairman Suoh. The Host Club, Reiko, and I congregated in the center of the music room for a breakfast of yesterday's Hosting leftovers: aka finger sandwiches, tea, coffee, fruit, and cake.

Tamaki, apparently, had been up the whole night planning the gala to reveal me to everyone as a host. He'd decided on an African-themed masquerade with lavish decorations and creative foods. Kyoya, put through the strain of funding such an event, decided to sell tickets. Not for admission, but a kind of raffle. The winner would climb on top of the stage and win a kiss from me, as well as the honor of unmasking the new host.

Joy to the world, I've become an attraction.

The dance was scheduled in two weeks time, making Kyoya scramble to get everything set. In one week's time, the whole school was buzzing with the news. They were guessing about who it could be, this new host. I passed by in relative shadow because of Reiko's quiet nature. The mystery kept the attention off of her, and for that she was grateful.

So that placed me today. The day of the dance/gala/thingie. I'm kind of scared to see what Tamaki came up with for my outfit, but I'm still excited. I only hope I don't make a fool of myself!

Wish me luck, I'll tell you about it afterwards.

~Rai


End file.
